Methods, apparatuses, and systems for image-based measurement and inspection of pre-engineered structural components

ABSTRACT

Methods, apparatuses, and systems for image-based measurement and inspection of pre-engineered structural components, such as building trusses and wall panels. A system can include: a light source; a camera; a first memory storage; a second memory storage; and a processing unit configured to (i) detect a characteristic of the structural component, (ii) compare the characteristic to a corresponding characteristic of at least one reference data, and (iii) indicate a result of the comparison. A method can include: causing a light source to illuminate a portion of the structural component, receiving a reflection of the light source from the illuminated portion of the structural component, and storing data corresponding to the intensity of the reflection; comparing the stored data to at least one reference data; and indicating a result of the comparison.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS

The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 60/898,556, filed Jan. 31, 2007, which is incorporatedherein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of equipment for validatingpre-engineered structural components, such as building trusses, wallpanels, and other fabricated or composite construction parts. Morespecifically, embodiments of the present invention pertain to methods,apparatuses, and systems for capturing images of one or more sides of astructural component and automatically inspecting critical features ofthe structural component, including but not limited to, the geometry ofthe structural component and support plate size, placement, orientation,and the like.

DISCUSSION OF THE BACKGROUND

Building trusses and wall panels are composite structural componentsgenerally composed of multiple pieces of dimensional lumber (e.g.,2″×2″, 4″×2″, 4″×4″, etc.) and metal support plates (e.g., gang nails,strip gang nails, nail plates, hand nail plates, etc.). Each structuralcomponent is specifically designed to support specific loads andstresses. There are unique lumber size, lumber grade, and support platesize, placement, and orientation requirements for each design.Additionally, the lumber and support plates have placement andorientation tolerances which must be met in order to ensure that thestructural component can meet its engineering and design requirements.Generally, the fabrication of a structural component is a highlyautomated process and a number of patents exist on inventions related tofabrication including automated design, automated lumber cutting,automated layout, and automated securing of support plates into thelumber. In fabricating a structural component, the lumber and supportplates are initially laid out to form the structural component, and aset of pinch rollers are used to secure the support plates into thelumber. However, it is very common for the support plates to becomedislodged or misplaced before they are pressed into place by the pinchrollers. Should such defects not be discovered before installation, thestructural component may not be able to support the load and stress itwas designed to support, and disastrous consequences may result.

It is therefore desirable to individually inspect each structuralcomponent prior to installation in order to confirm that the size,placement, and orientation of all elements correspond to the designspecifications (i.e., that the measured size, placement, and orientationis within design tolerances). Although the structural component may bemanually inspected, doing so may be impractical since a particularstructural component may be quite large (e.g., approximately 15 feetwide by 60 feet long) and have support plates on both sides. Further,the number of measurements and complex calculations required to validatea structural component may consume a significant amount of time and maybe prone to human error. Thus, automated and/or machine validation offabricated construction parts is desirable.

In some conventional art, machines detect missing or grossly misplacedmetal support plates by utilizing “Hall effect” sensors on one or moresides of a truss (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,100,810 and U.S. Pat. No.6,990,384). Such implementations can only detect gross position errorsof metal parts, since the detection resolution is limited by theplacement density of the sensors. Thus, these machines are generallyunable to detect whether the correct support plates have been installedor whether the support plates are correctly positioned within designtolerances on the lumber pieces. And since “Hall effect” sensors are notreactive to non-metallic and non-magnetic components, conventional artmachines can not validate the size, placement, and/or orientation of thelumber pieces of the truss.

To solve this deficiency, other conventional art machines have includedan array of photosensors and reflectors situated such that as the trusspasses through the machine, the optical connection between a photosensorand a reflector is broken (similar to a convenience store door chime)(see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,506,914). These machines are also limited toidentifying only a coarse outline of the truss and the gross positionerrors of metal parts. The visual feedback which is provided from such amachine to an operator is restricted to a rough outline. In thecontinuing development of the building industry, greater accuracy,reduced tolerances and/or higher inspection standards make such machinesinadequate for current structural component inspection purposes.

In other industries, optical based measurement machines have been usedto measure critical dimensions with great accuracy. The use of opticalmeasurement techniques is generally preferred over contact or magnetictechniques because of their superior resolution and thus accuracy. Inaddition, optical measurement techniques allow for archival andretrieval of an image of a part, if needed. In one example, defects inplanar-processed wood may be detected by one or more lasers (see, e.g.,U.S. Pat. No. 6,336,351). However, use of such optical based measurementtechniques has not been used in the structural component fabricationindustry. This is partially due to the relatively large size of typicalstructural components which creates significant challenges not only inthe construction of suitable measurement machines and devices. It isalso partially due to the difficulties in capturing, storing, andprocessing of large amounts of optical data.

For example, using conventional approaches, optical measurement of atruss measuring 15 feet wide by 60 feet long with an accuracy of 1/16 ofan inch may require an image data on the order 4096×16384 pixels,resulting in approximately 67 megabytes (MB) of data for a simple blackand white image. A sixteen bit gray scale image would result in 1070 MBof data. When in some applications it is desired to obtain images ofboth or even all sides of a truss, the amount of data would increase bya multiplicative factor. It may be also be desired to permanently storeone or more images of a truss for reference at a later time. Even withthe decreasing cost of data storage, saving one or more of such largeimages would quickly be cost prohibitive. In addition, such large datamay not be efficiently processed in a reasonable time.

Individual parts of structural components may vary greatly with respectto the characteristics that can be measured using image processing. Forexample, trusses, wall frames and other structural componentsincorporate lumber and nail plates, among other things; and while thenail plates are generally produced according to very tight tolerances,the characteristics of the lumber (e.g., size, shape, etc.) may varymuch more dramatically. It is therefore desirable to provide systems,methods and apparatus for measuring such structural components that takeadvantage of the regular nature of the nail plates while also dealingwith the greater variation within the lumber.

With respect to building trusses, the very large potential sizes of thetrusses require a large fabrication space. Often, this takes placeoutdoors and/or under a canopy that may only provide partial shade.Little additional space may be available for additional machines forinspecting the trusses. It is therefore desirable to provide reasonablysized machines that are capable of capturing precise and useful imagesof fabricated trusses for inspection purposes that can tolerate outdoorenvironments including, without limitation, significant swings intemperature as well as significant shifts in ambient lighting orbrightness from full sun to relative darkness.

It is therefore desirable to provide systems, apparatuses, and methodswhich are capable of capturing, saving, and processing precise images ofpre-engineered structural components, including but not limited tobuilding trusses, wall panels, and other fabricated or compositeconstruction parts, whereby the construction thereof may be efficientlyand accurately verified.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention relate to methods, apparatuses, andsystems for optically validating and inspecting pre-engineeredstructural components, such as building frames, building trusses, wallpanels, and other fabricated or composite construction parts. Morespecifically, embodiments of the present invention pertain to capturingimages of one or more sides of a structural component and automaticallyinspecting critical features of the structural component, including butnot limited to, the selection, size, placement, and orientation oflumber pieces and support plates.

The present invention may be used to validate and inspect structuralcomponents after they are manufactured to ensure that the criticalfeatures of the structural component, as fabricated, correspond todesign tolerances. As shown in FIG. 17, a structural component 10 may befabricated by a finish roller which secures the support plates into thelumber. Subsequent to fabrication, the structural component may bereceived by a system in accordance with the present invention whichvalidates that the truss has been manufactured as designed.

Therefore, in one aspect, the invention concerns a system for inspectinga pre-engineered structural component that can include: a light sourceconfigured to illuminate a portion of the structural component; one ormore cameras configured to (i) receive a reflection of the light sourcefrom the structural component and (ii) generate an image outputcorresponding to the reflection; a first memory storage in communicationwith the camera(s) configured to store the image output; a second memorystorage configured to store at least one reference data, the at leastone reference data corresponding to at least one reference structuralcomponent design; and a processing unit in communication with the lightsource, the camera(s), and the first and the second memory storage,wherein the processing unit is configured to (i) detect a characteristicof said structural component, (ii) compare the characteristic to acorresponding characteristic of the at least one reference data, and(iii) indicate a result of the comparison.

In another aspect, the invention concerns an apparatus for validatingthe construction of a pre-engineered structural component that caninclude: an emitter for projecting photons towards a portion of thestructural component; a receiver for detecting a reflection of thephotons from the portion of the structural component; a memory device;and a processor in communication with the emitter, the receiver, thememory device, and a program wherein the program is adapted to (i)create and compare an electronic image of the structural component to areference image and (ii) indicate a result of the comparison.

In one aspect, the invention concerns a method of validating theconstruction of a pre-engineered structural component that can include:causing a light source to illuminate a first portion of the structuralcomponent, receiving a first reflection of the light source from thefirst portion of the structural component, and storing a first data in afirst portion of a data array, wherein the first data corresponds to theintensity of the first reflection; causing the light source toilluminate a second portion of the structural component, receiving asecond reflection of the light source from the second portion of thestructural component, and storing a second data in a second portion ofthe data array, wherein the second data corresponds to the intensity ofthe second reflection; comparing the data array to at least onereference array, wherein the at least one reference array corresponds toat least one reference structural component design; and indicating aresult of the comparison.

In another aspect, the invention concerns a method of validating theconstruction of a pre-engineered structural component that can include:creating at least one computer readable image of the structuralcomponent; calibrating the dimensions and orientation of the at leastone image with reference to at least one support plate; selecting one ofat least one reference image, the at least one reference imagecorresponding to at least one reference structural component design;comparing the at least one computer readable image with the selected oneof the at least one reference image; and indicating a result of thecomparison.

In one aspect, the invention concerns an automated system for takingimages of a pre-engineered structural component that can include: alighting enclosure comprising a proximal opening and a distal opening;at least one camera provided near the distal opening; at least onestructural component detector; a processor in communication with the atleast one structural component detector and the at least one camera; anda program associated with the processor, wherein the program and theprocessor are configured to capture, compress, store, and process atleast one image received from the at least one camera

In another aspect, the invention concerns a method for inspecting apre-engineered structural component that can include: capturing imagesfrom both sides of the structural component; identifying the structuralcomponent; measuring at least one dimension of the structural componentcontained in the images; comparing the at least one dimension to areference structural component design; and reporting a result of thecomparison of the at least one dimension.

By optically validating a structural component, conformance with designspecifications may be quickly and accurately ascertained. Thecompression and storage of optical data allows for efficient archival,retrieval, and processing of structural component images. The use of oneor more cameras provides a basis for calibration and improved accuracy.Thus, the present invention advantageously provides an economical andefficient approach to capture, save, and process images of structuralcomponents, including but not limited to building trusses, Wall panels,and other fabricated or composite construction parts. The invention maybe used to measure and inspect various attributes' of a structuralcomponent, including but not limited to verifying the size and placementof lumber pieces, verifying that the correct support plates have beenincorporated, verifying that the placement of the support plates, andverifying the overall geometry of the structural component.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide machines,methods, apparatus and systems for automatically and quickly inspectingindividual structural components to ensure that critical configurations,geometry and dimensions such as support plate size, support plateplacement, support plate orientation and lumber quality fall within thedesign tolerances for the component under inspection.

It is another object of the present invention to provide machines,methods, apparatus and systems for precise inspection of the lumber andsupport plates of structural components by capturing image(s) of one orboth sides of the component, compressing the image(s) into a manageableform, saving the compressed image(s), aligning the image(s) forpositioning irregularities, comparing the image(s) with design data forthe particular component under inspection, and reporting the results ofthe comparison.

It is another object of the present invention to provide machines,methods, apparatus and systems for capturing calibrated image(s) of oneor both sides of a manufactured structural component under potentiallyadverse environmental conditions at the inspection site.

It is another object of the present invention to provide machines,methods, apparatus and systems for precise inspection of the lumber andsupport plates of structural components in which image(s) of one or bothsides of the component are captured and compressed with a compressionratio that is high enough to allow the image(s) to be convenientlyarchived to a electronic storage device, and readily accessed for promptprocessing.

It is another object of the present invention to provide machines,methods, apparatus and systems for precise inspection of the lumber andsupport plates of structural components in captured image(s) of one orboth sides of the component that are compressed and then analyzed toidentify critical areas in the component for comparison with designdata.

It is another object of the present invention to provide machines,methods, apparatus and systems for capturing calibrated image(s) of oneor both sides of a manufactured structural component that detectsorientation of the component and compensates for any skew(mis-positioning) in comparison to the design data.

It is another object of the present invention to provide methods andapparatus for precise inspection of the lumber and support plates ofstructural components in which image(s) of one or both sides of thecomponent are captured, compressed and processed quickly enough thateach component may be automatically inspected as it is produced.

It is another object of the present invention to provide machines,methods, apparatus and systems for precise inspection of the lumber andsupport plates of structural components in which image(s) of one or bothsides of the component are captured and the component designautomatically identified from a paper label, bar code, stamp, mark orother identification captured in one of the images.

It is another object of the present invention to provide machines,methods, apparatus and systems for precise inspection of the lumber andsupport plates of structural components in which image(s) of one or bothsides of the component are captured that provides visual feedbackincluding an image and/or graphic overlay of the component underinspection in comparison with design criteria allowing for quick reviewand correction of defects.

These and other objects, advantages and features of the invention,together with the organization and manner of operation thereof, willbecome apparent from the following detailed description when taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like elements havelike numerals throughout the several drawings described below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a left side rear perspective view of an embodiment of anapparatus in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a left side front perspective view of the embodiment of FIG.1.

FIG. 3 is a right side front perspective view of another embodiment ofan apparatus in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a left side front perspective view of the embodiment of FIG.3.

FIG. 5 is a right side front perspective view of another embodiment ofan apparatus in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a left side elevational view yet another embodiment of anapparatus in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 7A is a right side elevational view of an embodiment of anapparatus in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 7B is a left side elevational view of the embodiment of FIG. 7A.

FIG. 8 is a front end elevational view of an embodiment of an apparatusin accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a top view of another embodiment of an apparatus in accordancewith the present invention.

FIG. 10A is an enlarged side view of an exemplary embodiment of a camerain accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 10B is a cut-away view of the embodiment of FIG. 10A.

FIG. 11 is a cut-away view of an exemplary embodiment of a light sourcehousing in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a left side front perspective view of another embodiment ofan apparatus in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a right side elevational view of another embodiment of anapparatus in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a front end elevational view of another embodiment of anapparatus in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 15 is another front end elevational view of the embodiment of FIG.14

FIG. 16 is a top view of another embodiment of an apparatus inaccordance with the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a left side front perspective view of an embodiment of asystem in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 18 is an exemplary embodiment of a structural component inaccordance with the present invention.

FIG. 19 is an exemplary embodiment of a schematic in accordance with thepresent invention.

FIG. 20 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a method of validating theconstruction of a structural component in accordance with the presentinvention.

FIG. 21 is a diagram showing another embodiment of a method ofvalidating the construction of a structural component in accordance withthe present invention.

FIG. 22 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a method for inspecting astructural component in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The invention, in its various aspects, will be explained in greaterdetail below with regard to one or more preferred embodiments and theaccompanying drawings, wherein like reference identifiers refer tosimilar or corresponding elements. While the invention will be describedin conjunction with the preferred embodiments, the preferred embodimentsthemselves do not limit the scope of the invention. Rather theinvention, as defined by the claims, may cover alternatives,modifications, and/or equivalents of the preferred embodiments.Similarly, the accompanying drawings do not limit the scope of thepreferred embodiments and/or the invention, but rather, are illustrativeof one or more examples of embodiments of the invention.

As described in detail below, the present invention provides methods,apparatuses, and systems for image-based measurement and inspection of apre-engineered structural component. An example of a pre-engineeredstructural component is shown in FIG. 18. The structural component 10(which may be a building truss as shown, but may also be any othersimilar composite construction part), may include several lumber pieces13, support plates 16, and one or more identification devices 19. Theobject of the invention is to create images of one or more sides of eachstructural component, after fabrication, in order to ensure that thecorrect lumber pieces 13 and support plates 16 have been installed inthe correct positions. While the below discussion provides examples ofapparatuses, systems, and methods for imaging the top and/or the bottomof a structural component, it can be appreciated that the invention mayalso be practiced to image the sides of a structural component.

An Exemplary System for Inspecting a Pre-Engineered Structural Component

In some embodiments, a system for inspecting a pre-engineered structuralcomponent can include: a light source configured to illuminate a portionof the structural component; one or more camera(s) configured to (i)receive a reflection of the light source from the structural componentand (ii) generate an image output corresponding to the reflection; afirst memory storage in communication with the camera(s) configured tostore the image output; a second memory storage configured to store atleast one reference data, the at least one reference data correspondingto at least one reference structural component design; and a processingunit in communication with the light source, the camera(s), and thefirst and the second memory storage, wherein the processing unit isconfigured to (i) detect a characteristic of the structural component,(ii) compare the characteristic to a corresponding characteristic of theat least one reference data, and (iii) indicate a result of thecomparison.

As shown in the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 12, a structural component10 may be placed at one end of the system. The system may include one ormore drive rollers 66A and 66B and one or more support rollers 63A and63B and may be configured to move the structural component 10 from oneside of the system to another. The structural component 10 can bepressed between drive rollers 66A and 66B to move the structuralcomponent 10 while support rollers 63A and 63B provide support for thestructural component. In some implementations, the system can include amotorized roller for moving the structural component from a firstposition to a second position. As illustrated in the example of FIG. 17,the finish (or pinch) roller 71 may include one or more motorizedrollers which cause the structural component 10 to move through thesystem. In another example, and as shown in FIG. 13, the system mayinclude a motor 69 for powering at least one of drive rollers 66A and66B. It is to be appreciated that one or all of drive rollers 66A and66B may be motorized. For example, drive rollers 66A and 66B may be bothbe motorized. Alternatively, drive roller 66A may be motorized and driveroller 66B may prevent vibration and/or damping of the structuralcomponent movement so that clear images of the truss may be captured. Inanother and similar example, and as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the systemmay include drive rollers 66A and 66B, support roller 63, and motor 69.Other combinations of motorized and non-motorized rollers are alsocontemplated within the scope of the invention. Although not shown, itcan be appreciated that the transport system may also include a conveyorbelt configured to move the structural component 10 from one side of thesystem to another.

In some implementations, the system may include two or more edge sensorsfor detecting a leading and a trailing edge of the structural component.Such edge sensors may be any type of sensor, including but not limitedto optical, photo, and magnetic sensors. As shown in the embodiments ofFIGS. 7A and 7B, the system may include an exemplary optical first edgesensor transmitter/receiver pair 53C & 53D for detecting a leading edgeof the structural component 10 as it moves through the system assistedby drive rollers 66A and 66B and support roller 63. The system may alsoinclude an optical second edge sensor transmitter/receiver pair 53A &53B for detecting a trailing edge of the structural component 10. Insome embodiments, the edge sensors may be used to control the operationof the drive rollers 66A and 66B. In other embodiments, the edge sensorsmay be used to control the operation of the light source and/or thecamera(s).

In some implementations, the system may include an encoder configured to(i) detect the position of the structural component relative to thecamera(s) and (ii) generate a position output corresponding to saidposition. As shown in FIG. 7A, embodiments may include an encoder 56which can be used to determine the position of the structural component10 and to coordinate the timing and speed of travel of the structuralcomponent 10 with the image that is captured by the camera(s). Referringto the exemplary embodiments of FIGS. 6, 7A, and 7B, the encoder may bea standalone encoder not coupled to drive rollers 66A and 66B or supportroller 63. For instance, the encoder may be included in the finish (orpinch) rollers 71 which secure the support plates into the lumber piecesof the structural component (as illustrated in FIG. 17). However, inother embodiments the encoder may be included in an assembly of driveroller 66A or 66B, or it may be included in an assembly of motor 69.Alternatively, the encoder 56 may be a separate device. The resolutionof the encoder 56 is to be chosen with respect to the minimum resolutionof the desired image. For example, if the minimum feature size necessaryto validate and inspect the structural component is 1/16th of an inch,an encoder having a resolution of 1/32th of an inch may be used.Encoders with other suitable resolutions are also contemplated withinthe scope of the invention.

As shown in the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 6, light source 30A andlight source 30B may be configured to illuminate a first side of thestructural component 10 at a location which is desired to be imaged.Preferably, the light source is configured to focus light uniformlyalong a narrow strip on the structural component 10. For example, insome embodiments, the light source may be an elongated bar. Additionalor alternative light sources may be configured to illuminate a secondside of the structural component 10, for example, when it is desired toimage both the top and the bottom side of the structural component. Itis to be appreciated that single or multiple light sources may beprovided on either side of the structural component 10. In anotherexemplary embodiment, and as shown in FIG. 13, a first light source 30Amay be configured to illuminate a first side (i.e., the top side) of astructural component and a second light source 30B may be configured toilluminate a second side (i.e., the bottom side) of the structuralcomponent. It is to be appreciated that the location and number of lightsources used included in the present invention are to be chosen so as tosufficiently illuminate the one or more portions of the structuralcomponent to be imaged.

Although any suitable type of light source may be selected, it is to beappreciated that the color of light emitted by the light source shouldbe complementary to the color of light which can be received by thecamera(s). For example, the light source can be configured to emitvisible light and the camera(s) can also be configured to receivevisible light. In other embodiments, the light source can be configuredto emit ultraviolet light and the camera(s) can also be configured toreceive ultraviolet light. It can be appreciated that in addition to thetype of camera selected, the selection of light color may depend on thetype of wood and metal used in the structural component (i.e., aparticular color of light may be better for imaging Douglas Fir andanother color of light may be better for imaging Yellow Pine; aparticular color of light may be better for imaging aluminum and anothercolor may be better for imaging iron). The selection of light color mayalso depend on the amount of processing to be performed on the images.It is also to be appreciated that multiple combinations of lightsource(s) and camera(s) can be used. For example, a system can include afirst light source and a first camera for operation in the visible lightspectrum and a second light source and a second camera for operation inthe ultraviolet spectrum.

In some implementations, the light source can be configured to emitradiation having a narrow chromatic bandwidth. For example, lightsources 30A and 30B may be light emitting diodes (LEDs) which emit lightin the red spectrum. In another example, light sources 30A and 30B maybe neon lights which emit light in the yellow spectrum. In otherimplementations, the light source can include at least one opticalfilter. For example, light sources 30A and 30B may be composite deviceswhich are made of multi-chromatic emitters and one or more opticalfilters for blocking one or more spectral ranges (i.e., light sources30A and 30B may include standard fluorescent bulbs and red opticalfilters). In another exemplary embodiment, light source 30A may includea standard florescent bulb and a filter assembly having both a redoptical filter and a yellow optical filter. A mechanized means mayconfigure one or more filters to be placed between the structuralcomponent and the bulb. Similarly, the light sources 30A and 30B mayinclude an array of multi-color LEDs and the processor may dynamicallychange the spectral characteristics of the light incident on thestructural component. It is to be appreciated that multiple combinationsof different light sources, colors and/or filters are within the scopeof the present invention, the selection of the particular combinationbeing driven by such factors as, without limitation, the type ofmaterial from which the structural component is made, the lightingenvironment in which the invention is used, the type of camera(s) used,the resolution desired for the images produced, and other similarfactors.

An embodiment of a single exemplary camera is shown in FIGS. 10A and10B. As above, the light source and the camera function together so asto create detailed images of the structural component. Thus, in someimplementations, the camera may be configured to receive radiationhaving a narrow chromatic bandwidth. The camera may be configured toreceive light in the same spectrum band as that emitted by the lightsource or as filtered by a light source filter or, the camera may beconfigured to receive light in a different spectrum band. For example,the light source may be configured to emit a broad spectrum of lightwhile the camera may be configured to receive a narrow spectrum. In someimplementations, the camera can include at least one optical filter. Theoptical filter may be chosen to be complementary to the spectrum oflight emitted by the light source. In other implementations, the cameracan include an environmental housing. Camera 20 can include an imagesensor 21, an environmental housing 23, a lens 25, an optical filter 26,and/or a positioning laser 29. The positioning laser 29 may be used toposition the view of the camera 20. The resolution of the image sensor21 may be chosen with reference to the dimensions of the structuralcomponent and the desired image resolution. For example, and referringto FIG. 15, if the structural component has a width of 10 feet and it isdesired to resolve the structural component to 1/16 inch per pixel, eachcamera 20A, 20B, 20C, and 20D can have a resolution of 1024 pixels.However, if the desired image resolution is 1/32 of an inch, or, if onlyone camera is used per side instead of two, the image sensor must have aresolution of 2048 pixels. It is to be appreciated that multiple camerasmay be used in the present invention, and that the variousimplementations described herein with respect to single cameraembodiments (lenses, filters, positioning lasers, etc.), as well asdifferent combinations of those implementations, may be utilized inmultiple camera embodiments as well.

Each of the camera(s), light source(s), first memory storage, and secondmemory storage may be coupled to a processing unit. In some exemplaryembodiments, the processing unit may also be coupled to one or moremotorized rollers, the encoder, and/or one or more edge sensors. Forexample, and referring now to the diagrammatical embodiment of FIG. 19,a processing unit 197 may be coupled to motorized rollers 191, a lightsource 192, a camera 193, a first memory storage 194, a second memorystorage 195, an encoder 196, and an edge sensor 199. The first memorystorage 194 may be coupled to the camera 193 for storing an output imagefile. The second memory storage 195 may be configured to contain one ormore reference data (for example, data corresponding to a referencestructural component design). The processing unit 197, first memorystorage 194, and second memory storage 195 may be physically locatednear the other components in the system. For example, they could each belocated in a control unit 90 as shown in FIG. 17. Alternatively, thefirst memory storage 194 may be located in control unit 90 and theprocessing unit 197 and the second memory storage 195 may be located onanother device (for example, a computer networked to the control unit90). It is to be appreciated that FIG. 19 represents only an exemplaryembodiment of the invention, and that other configurations, placementsand/or combinations of the elements of FIG. 19 are also contemplated bythe present invention.

In some embodiments, the processing unit 197 may be configured to detecta characteristic of the structural component (as reflected by the imagefile stored the first memory storage). In some implementations, thecharacteristic can be selected from the size of, the shape of, the colorof, the absolute position of, and/or the relative position of at leastone of a lumber piece, a support plate, and/or an identification device.For example, the system may be configured to detect the absoluteposition of a lumber piece or the shape of a support plate. In someembodiments, the processing unit may also be configured to detect acorresponding characteristic of one or more reference structuralcomponent designs (as reflected by the reference data which may bestored in the second memory storage). In some embodiments, theprocessing unit may be configured to then compare the characteristic ofthe structural component to the characteristic of one or more referencedesigns and indicate a result of the comparison. For example, theprocessing unit can detect the size and relative position of a supportplate contained in the image file of the structural component. In someembodiments, the processing unit can then compare the size and relativeposition of the detected support plate to the location and orientationof a corresponding support plate (as reflected by the referencestructural component design). If the size and relative position of thedetected support plate is within design tolerances (for example, no morethan 1/64 of an inch off in the X direction and 1/64 of an inch off inthe Y direction) as may be provided for in the reference structuralcomponent design, the processing unit can indicate that the supportplate has passed inspection. The processing unit can continue to performthe comparison operations on other support plates of the structuralcomponent, or, if all comparisons have completed, can indicate whetheror not the structural component has been validated. The result of thecomparison can be indicated in any suitable fashion, such as withoutlimitation, through an audio or visual alarm or signal, on a monitorattached to the processing unit, and/or this may be indicated by storinga value in a data array.

In other implementations, the system can include a reflective surface.In one example, and referring to FIG. 13, light source 30A can beconfigured to illuminate a top side of a structural component (notshown). A reflective surface 40B may be configured to reflect an imagefrom the top side of the structural component to camera(s) 20B.Similarly, reflective surface 40D may be configured to reflect an imagefrom the bottom side of the structural component to camera(s) 20D. Inanother example, and referring to FIG. 6, light sources 30A and 30B maybe configured to illuminate a top side of the structural component 10.Reflective surface 40A may be configured to reflect an image from thetop side of the structural component 10 to camera(s) 20A. Although thereflective surface as shown is a mirror, in other implementations, thereflective surface can be any suitable material, for example, one sideof a multi-sided prism.

In some implementations, the system can include (i) a first optical pathfrom the structural component to the reflective surface and (ii) asecond optical path from the reflective surface to the camera(s).Referring to the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 14, the system can includecameras 20A, 20B, 20C, and 20D for imaging the top and the bottom sidesof a structural component. The system may also include reflectivesurfaces 40A, 40B, 40C, and 40D which correspond to camera 20A, 20B,20C, and 20D, respectively. As shown in the exemplary embodiment of FIG.15, the relative size, number, and placement of reflective surfaces andthe number and placement of cameras create, for each camera, a firstoptical path 85A, 85B, 85C, and 85D from the structural component 10 tothe reflective surfaces 40A, 40B, 40C, and 40D, respectively, and asecond optical path 83A, 83B, 83C, and 83D from the reflective surfaces40A, 40B, 40C, and 40D to the cameras 20A, 20B, 20C, and 20D,respectively. It is to be appreciated that different combinations and/ornumbers of reflective surfaces 40 and of cameras 20 defining differentoptical paths 83, 85 are contemplated within the scope of the presentinvention. As shown in the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 16, the secondoptical path 83A can have an envelope defined by the view of the camera20A and may extend from the camera 20A to the reflective surface 40A. Inthese exemplary embodiments, the first optical path 85A further reflectsthe camera view from reflective surface 40A to the structural component10. In another exemplary embodiment, and as shown in FIG. 6, the systemcan include a camera 20A and a reflective surface 40A. This exemplarysystem can include a first optical path 85A from the structuralcomponent 10 to the reflective surface 40A and a second optical path 83Afrom the reflective surface 40A to the camera 20A. Referring now to theexemplary embodiment of FIG. 8, a second optical path 83A may have anenvelope defined by the view of camera 20A and may extend from thecamera 20A to the reflective surface 40A. In these embodiments, thefirst optical path 85A may further reflect the camera view fromreflective surface 40A to the structural component 10. It is to beappreciated that depending on the number, placement, and configurationof one or more cameras, different systems in accordance with the presentinvention can include any number of reflective surfaces. For example, asshown in FIG. 9, a single reflective surface 40A may be selected toreflect an image of the top side of the structural component 10 to bothcameras 20A and 20B. Alternatively, and as shown in FIG. 16, the systemcan include a first reflective surface 40A configured to reflect a firstportion of the top side of the structural component 10 to camera 20A anda second reflective surface 40B to reflect a second portion of the topside of the structural component 10 to camera 20B.

It is to be appreciated that the distance between the structuralcomponent and the reflective surface(s), the distance between thereflective surface(s) and the camera(s), the number of reflectivesurfaces and cameras, and the field of view of the cameras may bevaried, but are interrelated. For instance, the greater the distancebetween the structural component and the reflective surface (i.e., thefirst optical path) the shorter the distance required between thereflective surface and the camera (i.e., the second optical path). Inanother example, the distance between a camera and the reflectivesurface (i.e., the second optical path) may be shorter when multiplecameras are used to image a single side of a structural component. Asshown in the two camera example of FIG. 16, the envelope of the totaloptical path of the camera 20A (including the first optical path 83A andthe second optical path 85A as reflected by reflective surface 40A) mustat a minimum spread across one half of the structural component 10. Ifthree cameras instead of two are used to image the top side of thestructural component, each camera would at a minimum need to spreadacross one third of the structural component. In the preferredembodiments, the total optical paths of the cameras overlap slightly sothat no imagery is lost. As can be appreciated, the use of a greaternumber of cameras to image one side of the structural component maydecrease the distance needed between the cameras and the reflectivesurface and/or the distance between the structural component and thereflective surface. It is to also be appreciated that the cameraconfigurations, the distances between the cameras and the reflectivesurfaces, and the distances between the reflective surfaces and thestructural components are side dependent (i.e., the top sideconfiguration may be different than the bottom side configuration).

While some structural components may be manufactured indoors, there aremany applications where they are manufactured outdoors on a constructionsite. It may be desired to shield such apparatuses and systems fromdust, dirt, debris, and weather. Furthermore, because the presentinvention provides methods, apparatuses, and systems for image-basedmeasurement and inspection of the structural components, it can beappreciated that the apparatuses and systems in accordance with thepresent invention may need to consider and compensate for any adverseeffects of external lighting. The intensity and wavelength of theinternal light sources may be configured to swamp any remaining externallight and to allow a better image to be captured by the camera. Thus insome applications, the system may be configured to block a substantialamount of stray, external, and/or ambient light so as to protect theoptical integrity of the system and to provide for more detailed andprecise imaging.

Accordingly, in some implementations, the system can include anenclosure for housing the light source(s), the reflective surface(s),and the camera(s). As shown in FIG. 17, the light source(s), reflectivesurface(s), and camera(s) may be housed in an enclosure for protectingthese elements from damage due to dust, dirt, debris, weather, and otherenvironmental contaminants. However, in some applications, it may beimpractical to provide such an enclosure for housing each of the lightsource(s), reflective surface(s), and camera(s). Thus, in otherimplementations, the system can include a light source housing forhousing only the light source(s) and the reflective surface(s).Referring now to the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 5, a system mayinclude a first light source housing 70A for housing a light source anda reflective surface corresponding to the top side of a structuralcomponent 10 (i.e., the top side to be imaged by cameras 20A and 20B).The system may also include a second light source housing 70B forhousing a light source and a reflective surface corresponding to thebottom side of a structural component 10 (i.e., the bottom side to beimaged by cameras 20C and 20D. Light source housings 70A and 70B may bemounted above and below, respectively, the path of the structuralcomponent 10 as it moves through the system. It is to be understood andappreciated that both light source housing 70A and 70B can be providedin applications for imaging both sides of the structural component 10.However, in applications for imaging only the top side of the structuralcomponent 10, the system may include only light source housing 70A.Similarly, in applications for imaging only the bottom side of thestructural component 10, the system may include only light sourcehousing 70B.

The details of an exemplary embodiment of a light source housing areshown in FIGS. 6 and 11. While the following discussion is made withreference to an upper light source housing 70A, it is to be appreciatedthat lower light source housing 70B may have similar features andstructures, and may differ only in the orientation relative to thestructural component as shown. In some embodiments, light source housing70A can include an elongated front wall 76, an elongated back wall 77,and an elongated top wall 75. An opening 78 is provided between frontwall 76 and top wall 75. In some embodiments, the left and right sidesof the light source housing 70A may be closed off by walls to minimizethe entry of debris or unwanted foreign matter. Alternatively, the sidesmay be left open to provide an access point to the interior of the lightsource housing 70A. In some implementations, the light source housingcan have a uniform interior color. For example, the light source housingcan have an interior that is uniformly painted black to minimize anylight reflections.

In some embodiments, light sources 30A and 30B may be provided on theinside of light source housing 70A. In these embodiments, light sources30A and 30B are configured to illuminate a portion of the structuralcomponent 10 passing below light source housing 70A. One or more flaps72 may be hingedly attached to the back wall 77 and/or front wall oflight source housing 70A to provide additional protection against strayand/or ambient light from illuminating the same portion of thestructural component 10 as light sources 30A and 30B illuminate. One ormore reflective surface(s) 40A may be provided in the interior of lightsource housing 70A on a support wall 74, as shown. Alternatively,reflective surface(s) 40A may be provided on rear wall 77 or top wall75. Reflective surface 40A may be fixed or adjustable and may be angledsuch that a reflection of light source 30A and 30B from structuralcomponent 10 may further be reflected by reflective surface 40A, thoughopening 78, and received by camera 20A. In the exemplary embodiment ofFIG. 6, camera 20A may be situated parallel to structural component 10and light source housing 70A may be configured perpendicular tostructural component 10. In such case, it is preferred that reflectivesurface 40A be configured at an angle of approximately 45 degrees.However, it can be appreciated that camera 20A and light source housing70A may be configured in many different angles relative to thestructural component 10, and as such, reflective surface 40A should beconfigured at an appropriate angle sufficient to reflect an image of thestructural component 10 to camera 20A.

An Exemplary Apparatus for Validating the Construction of aPre-Engineered Structural Component

In some embodiments, an apparatus for validating the construction of apre-engineered structural component can include: one or more emittersfor projecting photons towards a portion of the structural component;one or more receivers for detecting a reflection of the photons from theportion of the structural component; a memory device; and a processor incommunication with the emitter(s), the receiver(s), the memory device,and a program wherein the program is adapted to (i) create and comparean electronic image of the structural component to a reference image and(ii) indicate a result of the comparison.

Referring to FIGS. 6, 7A, and 7B, embodiments of an apparatus caninclude one or more emitters 30A and 30B configured to project photonstowards a portion of a structural component 10. The photons may reflectoff of a portion of the structural component 10 and be received byreceiver 20A. In some implementations, the apparatus can include a meansfor moving the structural component with respect to the receiver. Themeans can include drive rollers 66A and 66B, a motor 69 for impartingforce on one or both drive rollers 66A and 66B, and support roller 63A.Alternatively, the means can include drive rollers 66A and 66B (whichare not motorized) support roller 63A. In such an example, force may beexerted on the structural component by one or more motorized rollerswithin a finish (or pinch) roller 71 assembly (as shown in the exampleof FIG. 17). In some implementations, the apparatus can include anencoder for detecting the position of the structural component withrespect to the receiver. An encoder 56 may be provided to detect theposition of the structural component 10 with respect to the receiver 20A(and associated optical paths 83A and 85A). The encoder can be a standalone encoder (i.e., the encoder 56 as shown in FIGS. 6, 7A, and 7B),or, the encoder can be part of an assembly of either the drive rollers66A or 66B, the support roller 63A, or the finish (or pinch) roller 71.In some implementations, the apparatus can include one or more sensorsfor detecting an edge of the structural component. For example, onesensor pair 53C and 53D may be provided for detecting a leading edge ofthe structural component 10 and another sensor pair 53A and 53B may beprovided for detecting a trailing edge of the structural component 10.It is to be appreciated that different combinations of sensors arecontemplated within the scope of the invention.

As shown in the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 19, the apparatus caninclude a processor 197 in communication with the emitter 192, thereceiver 193, the memory device 194, and a program 198. The program 198may be adapted to, with reference to the receiver 193, create anelectronic image of the structural component. The processor 197 can alsobe in communication with the encoder 196 for coordinating the timing ofthe structural component as it moves through the apparatus. It can beappreciated that the encoder 196 may also be in direct communicationwith the receiver 193. In another exemplary embodiment, the processor197 may also be in communication with the means 191 for moving thestructural component with respect to the receiver and the sensor 199 fordetecting an edge of the structural component. For example, theprocessor 197 and/or program 198 can be configured to activate one ormore motorized rollers, the emitter, and/or the receiver in response tosensor 199 (which may indicate that the structural component is inposition and ready to be imaged).

Program 198 may be configured to create an electronic image of thestructural component and store the image in memory 194. Memory 195 maycontain one or more reference images (which correspond to referencestructural component designs). The program 198 may be further configuredto compare the image stored in memory 194 to one or more referenceimages stored in memory 195 (e.g., the program can compare the size andrelative location of one or more support plates contained in the imageof the structural component to the size and the relative location of oneor more support plates contained in one or more reference images). Theprogram 198 may be configured to indicate a result of the comparison,for example, by activating a light or alarm, changing the display on amonitor, or storing data in an electronic file or on a networkedcomputer.

In some implementations, the apparatus can include at least onereflective surface configured to create (i) a first optical path fromthe structural component to the at least one reflective surface and (ii)a second optical path from the at least one reflective surface to areceiver. Referring back to the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 6, theapparatus can include a reflective surface 40A configured to create afirst 85A and a second 83A optical path. The first optical path 85A mayextend from the structural component 10 to the reflective surface 40A.The second optical path 83A may extend from the reflective surface 40Ato the receiver 20A.

An Exemplary Method of Validating the Construction of a Pre-EngineeredStructural Component

In some embodiments, a method of validating the construction of apre-engineered structural component can include: causing a light sourceto illuminate a first portion of the structural component, receiving afirst reflection of the light source from the first portion of thestructural component, and storing a first data in a first portion of adata array, wherein the first data corresponds to the intensity of thefirst reflection; causing the light source to illuminate a secondportion of the structural component, receiving a second reflection ofthe light source from the second portion of the structural component,and storing a second data in a second portion of the data array, whereinthe second data corresponds to the intensity of the second reflection;comparing the data array to at least one reference array, wherein the atleast one reference array corresponds to at least one referencestructural component design; and indicating a result of the comparison.

Referring now to FIG. 20, methods of the invention can include the step201 of causing a light source to illuminate a first portion of thestructural component. For example, and as illustrated in FIG. 6, lightsources 30A and 30B can be activated so that a first portion of thestructural component 10 is illuminated. These methods can include thestep 202 of receiving a first reflection of the light source from thefirst portion of the structural component. For example, a firstreflection of the light sources 30A and 30B can be received by camera20A. The methods can also include the step 203 of storing a first datain a first portion of an array. For example, and as shown in FIG. 19, afirst data can be stored in a first portion of a data array (e.g., anelectronic file stored in memory element 194), the first datacorresponding to the intensity of the first reflection of the lightsources 30A and 30B (i.e., received by camera 20A).

These methods can also include the step 204 of causing the light sourceto illuminate a second portion of the structural component. In someimplementations, the step of causing the light source to illuminate thesecond portion of the structural component can include moving thestructural component from a first position to a second position. Asillustrated in FIG. 6, motorized rollers 66A and 66B can be configuredto move the structural component 10 from a first position to a secondposition. Alternatively, the structural component 10 can be moved from afirst position to a second position by way of finish (or pinch) rollers71 as shown in the example of FIG. 17. Light sources 30A and 30B can beactivated (or remain activated from step 201) so that a second portionof the structural component 10 is illuminated. The methods can includethe step 205 of receiving a second reflection of the light source fromthe second portion of the structural component. For example, a secondreflection of the light sources 30A and 30B can be received by camera20A. The methods can include the step 206 of storing a second data in asecond portion of an array. For example, and as illustrated in FIG. 19,a second data can be stored in a second portion of the data array (e.g.,the electronic file stored in a memory element 194), the second datacorresponding to the intensity of the second reflection of the lightsources 30A and 30B (i.e., received by camera 20A). It is to beappreciated that steps 204 through 206 can be repeated (i.e., causingthe light source to illuminate additional portions of the structuralcomponent, receiving additional reflections of the light source from theadditional portions of the structural component, and storing additionaldata in additional portions of the array) until the all desired portionsof the structural component are imaged.

In some implementations, the methods can include the optional step 207of processing the data array to remove data that does not correspond toat least one of the group consisting of a lumber piece, a support plate,and an identification device. For example, at the completion of step206, the data array can represent a complete image of the structuralcomponent. As illustrated in FIG. 18, the structural component mayinclude one or more lumber pieces 13, one or more support plates 16, andone or more identification devices 19. Because the data stored in thedata array includes not only the representation of the structuralcomponent but also background images (for example, the empty spacebetween portions of the structural component and corresponding to thebackdrop 79 as shown in FIG. 6), it may be desired to remove thebackground portions so that the only data stored in the data arraycorresponds to the structural component itself.

The methods of the present invention can include the step 208 ofcomparing the data array to at least one reference array. For example,the data array (which can be stored in memory 194 of FIG. 19) can becompared to a reference array (which can be stored in memory 195 of FIG.19). The reference array may be a computer aided design (CAD) file, animage file, or other type of file that corresponds to a reference designof the structural component to be inspected or validated. More than onereference array can be stored in a memory (e.g., memory 195 of FIG. 19),each reference array corresponding to a different reference structuralcomponent design. In some implementations, the step of comparing thedata array to the at least one reference array can include: selectingone of the at least one reference array; searching the first array todetermine the presence and relative location of at least one of a lumberpiece and a support plate; searching the selected one of the at leastone reference array to determine the presence and relative location ofat least one of a lumber piece and a support plate; and determining ifthe one or more lumber piece and support plate of the first array have apresence and relative location corresponding to the one or more lumberpiece and support plate of the selected one of the at least onereference array.

In some implementations, the step of selecting one of the at least onereference array can include (i) receiving an input from a humaninterface device and (ii) selecting the at least one reference arraycorresponding to the input from the human interface device. For example,a human interface device such as a mouse, keyboard, keypad, button,switch, or touch screen can be used by a machine operator to identifythe reference structural component design to which the structuralcomponent under test is to be compared.

In alternative implementations, the step of selecting one of the atleast one reference array can include (i) detecting the presence of anidentification device such as a bar code, a label, printed text, amachine readable pattern, or the like, and (ii) selecting a referencearray corresponding to the identification device. For example, and asillustrated in FIG. 18, the structural component 10 can include anidentification device 19. The identification device may be affixed viaan adhesive means (such as glue, tape, a staple, or a nail) to a portionof the structural component (for example, a lumber piece 13).Alternatively, the identification device may include ink or dye which isimpregnated in a portion of the structural component. The identificationdevice can have a bar code, a label, printed text, a machine readablepattern, or the like, which identifies a specific reference structuralcomponent design or which identifies a serial number of the specificstructural component being imaged. After an identification device hasbeen detected, one of at least one reference array can be selected, thereference array corresponding to the identification device. For example,and as illustrated in FIG. 19, multiple reference arrays may be storedin memory element 195. Processor 197 and software 198 can be configuredto, with reference to the data array stored in memory element 194,detect an identification device and select the appropriate referencearray stored in memory element 195.

In other alternative implementations, the step of selecting a referencearray can include (i) determining the presence of a uniform structuresuch as a support plate or a portion or facsimile thereof, the uniformstructure including an identification means such as a bar code, a label,printed text, a machine readable pattern, or the like, and (ii)selecting the at least one reference array corresponding to theidentification means. A bar code, a label, printed text, machinereadable pattern, or the like, can be affixed to, impregnated on, orformed in, a uniform structure such as a support plate or a portion orfacsimile thereof. In one example, the support plate may have printedtext or patterns which identify the particular structural component. Inanother example, the support plate may have one or more holes which forma machine readable pattern.

In other examples, a facsimile of a support plate or a portion thereofmay be used. These facsimiles may be in the form of a printed labelhaving openings or patterns thereon (e.g. light/dark contrast) thatresemble a support plate, or a portion thereof, together withidentification information. The system recognizes the uniformity of thepattern on the facsimile and then searches for the identificationinformation. After a support plate or facsimile has been identified, oneof the at least one reference array can be selected corresponding to theidentification made.

In some implementations, the step of determining the presence of asupport plate can include: first identifying the presence and relativelocation of at least one potential support plate; then identifying fromthe at least one potential support plate the presence and relativelocation of at least one likely support plate; and lastly identifyingfrom the at least one likely support plate the presence and relativelocation of the support plate. For example, and as illustrated in FIG.18, the step can include first identifying the presence and relativelocations of at least one structure that may be a potential supportplate, the structures which may include, among other things, supportplates 16, identification device 19, and color defects (not shown) inlumber pieces 13. These structures may then be subject to furtheranalysis (i.e., a detailed analysis of one or more characteristics suchas size, shape, color, orientation, etc.) to eliminate potentialstructures that are not likely to be support plates (i.e., that arelikely to be identification devices or color defects in lumber pieces).The likely support plates may then be subject to further analysis (i.e.,a detailed analysis to determine if any contain a bar code, a label,printed text, or machine readable patterns). If an identification isfound, it may be used to find the appropriate reference for use in acomparing step. For some structural components, only a particular typeof support plate is used (e.g., made by a particular manufacturer, orbeing of a particular size, etc.); thus, if such a support plate isidentified, that information can be used to find the appropriatereference for use in the comparison step.

Referring to FIG. 20, the methods can include the step 209 of indicatingthe results of the comparison of the data array and the at least onereference array. In some implementations, the indicating step caninclude displaying a representation of the first array and arepresentation of the reference array on a monitor. For example, animage of the structural component (i.e., the image stored in the firstarray) and an image of the reference structural component design (i.e.,the image stored in the reference array) can be displayed on a monitor.The images may be overlaid on top of each other or may be displayed sideby side. In another example, the results of the comparison can beindicated by turning a light on or off, sounding an alarm, and the like.It is to be appreciated, however, that the results may also be indicatedby electronically storing the results in memory.

An Exemplary Method of Validating the Construction of a Pre-EngineeredStructural Component

In some embodiments, methods of validating the construction of apre-engineered structural component can include: creating at least onecomputer readable image of the structural component; calibrating thedimensions and orientation of the at least one image with reference toat least one support plate; selecting one of at least one referenceimage, the reference image corresponding to at least one referencestructural component design; comparing the at least one computerreadable image with the selected reference image; and indicating aresult of the comparison.

In some implementations, the methods can include the step of moving thestructural component from a first position to a second position by atleast one mechanized roller. Referring now to FIG. 21, the method caninclude the optional step 211 of moving the structural component. Asillustrated in the example of FIG. 12, a structural component 10 may belocated on a system including rollers 66A, 66B, 63A and 63B. In oneexample, one or both of rollers 66A and/or 66B may be operably coupledto motor 69. In another example, a system may include motorized finish(or pinch) rollers 71 (as shown in FIG. 17) which cause the structuralcomponent 10 to be moved through the system, between rollers 66A and66B, and on top of support roller 63.

The methods can also include the step 212 of creating at least onecomputer readable image of the structural component. In someimplementations, the step of creating the at least one computer readableimage can include: first detecting a leading edge of the structuralcomponent; then beginning reading data from at least one camera; thendetecting a trailing edge of the structural component; and finallystopping reading data from the at least one camera. In furtherimplementations, the step of detecting the leading edge can includedetermining when an output of a first edge sensor changes state. Inother implementations, the step of detecting the trailing edge caninclude determining when an output of a second edge sensor changesstate. As illustrated in the examples of FIGS. 7A and 7B, a leading edgeof the structural component 10 may be detected by a first edge sensortransmitter/receiver pair 53C & 53D, and a trailing edge of thestructural component 10 can be detected by a second edge sensortransmitter/receiver pair 53A & 53B. The first and the second edgesensors (which may be optical sensors) can be configured to changestates when the optical path between the transmitter and receiver isbroken. A system can be configured to poll the output of the receiversand determine when the optical path is broken (by the structuralcomponent 10 being located between the first edge sensor 53C/53D) andestablished (by the structural component 10 being removed from betweenthe second edge sensor 53A/53B). After the leading edge of thestructural component 10 is detected, a system can begin reading datafrom one or more cameras (i.e., cameras 20A and 20C as illustrated inFIG. 6). After the trailing edge of the structural component isdetected, the system can stop reading data from the cameras. It is to beappreciated that in an alternative implementation, a system may notinclude edge sensors. In such a case, a system can continually read datafrom the cameras and perform image processing to determine when astructural component is no longer in the camera's view.

In further implementations, the method can include: processing the atleast one computer readable image to remove data that does notcorrespond to at least one of the group consisting of a lumber piece, asupport plate, and an identification device; mathematically compressingthe at least one computer readable image; and storing the one or morecomputer readable image in a memory device. It can be appreciated thattypical structural components contain a significant amount of space inbetween structural pieces (i.e., with reference to FIG. 18, there is alarge amount of space in between individual lumber pieces 13). Thus, toprovide for more efficient processing and storage of the images receivedby the cameras, it may be desirable to remove data that does notcorrespond to lumber pieces, support plates, and/or identificationdevices. As illustrated in the example of FIG. 13, the structuralcomponent may be located between light source 30A and a neutral(preferably black) backdrop 79A. A similar backdrop 79B may be providedfor light source 30B. By utilizing image processing techniques, thebackdrop 79A may be removed from the image of the structural component.Once removed, the resulting image may be mathematically compressed (forexample, by a JPEG-variant or similar compression scheme). Finally, thecompressed image may be stored in a memory device for subsequentprocessing.

In some implementations, the methods can include creating at least twocomputer readable images of the structural component. For example, andas illustrated in the embodiment of FIG. 13, a first computer readableimage may be created which corresponds to the top side of the structuralcomponent (as received by camera 20B) and a second computer readableimage may be created which corresponds to the bottom side of thestructural component (as received by camera 20D). In other examples, andas illustrated in FIG. 14, a system may be configured to include two ormore cameras 20A and 20B configured to image the top side of thestructural component and two or more cameras 20C and 20D configured toimage the bottom side of the structural component. In such a case, fourcomputer readable images of the structural component can be created.

In further implementations, the methods can include the step ofcorrelating the at least two computer readable images which can include:locating a first feature in a first of the at least two computerreadable images; locating a second feature in a second of the at leasttwo computer readable images, wherein the second feature corresponds tothe first feature; and using a normalized cross correlation algorithm tocorrelate the first computer readable image and the second computerreadable image about the first and the second features, respectively.For example, and as illustrated in the embodiment of FIG. 15, a firstcamera 20A may be configured to image the top side of structuralcomponent 10 from a location from the far left (as shown) to just rightof the midpoint, and a second camera 20B may be configured to image thetop side of the structural component 10 from a location from just leftof the midpoint to the far right (as shown). A first feature (e.g., alumber piece, support plate, or identification device) may be located inan image created by the first camera 20A. A second feature, whichcorresponds to the first feature, may be located in an image created bythe second camera 20B. It is to be appreciated that the location of thefirst feature of the first image and the second feature of the secondimage will normally be located at a position where the view of the twocameras overlap (e.g., near a midpoint). A normalized cross correlationalgorithm can be used to correlate the first and the second images withreference to the selected features. It is also to be appreciated thatmultiple images (i.e., more than two per side) may be correlated in thesame way, where multiple cameras are provided. It is also to beappreciated, with reference to the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 15, thatthe step of correlating the images is not limited to imagescorresponding to the same side of the truss (i.e., correlating the imagefrom camera 20A and 20B). For example, the image from camera 20A may becorrelated with the image from camera 20C. In another example, theimages from each camera 20A, 20B, 20C, and 20D can be correlated.

The methods can also include the step 213 of calibrating the dimensionsand orientation of the at least one image with reference to at least onesupport plate. As illustrated in the example of FIG. 16, a camera 20Amay be placed a distance away from the portion of the structuralcomponent 10 to be imaged. Although the general position of the camerais known, the precise position may not be. Furthermore, the angle atwhich camera 20A is directed may not be known. These imprecisions mayaffect the reliability of the inspection and validation process. Gangnail plates generally consist of a piece of metal having numerousperforations cut therein. The relative location and sizes of theperforation can be made, and generally are made, with very tighttolerances. As such, they provide a reliable basis for calibrating thedimensions an orientation of the images received from the cameras.Furthermore, such support plates have consistent power cepstrumprofiles. The power cepstrum is an algorithm which can be used toprecisely identify an image. For example, the power cepstrum of asupport plate having unique spectral characteristics (e.g., known lightand dark patterns) is unique and can be consistently repeated with lowdeviation. Accordingly, in some implementations, the step of calibratingthe dimensions and the orientation of the at least one computer readableimage can include: selecting a portion of at least one support platecandidate; computing the power cepstrum of the selected portion of theat least one support plate candidate; identifying from the powercepstrum the at least one support plate; and adjusting the dimensionsand the orientation of the at least one computer readable imagecorresponding to stored dimensions of the at least one support plate.For example, an image processing algorithm can identify and select aportion of the image corresponding to a probable support plate (or aportion of a support plate). The algorithm can compute the powercepstrum of the selected portion and determine therefrom if the probablesupport plate is likely to be a support plate. If it is, the dimensionsand orientation of the image may be adjusted to correspond to the knowndimensions of the support plate identified. It is to be appreciated thatalgorithms other than computing the power cepstrum may alternatively beused. For example, if the known sizes of perforations in a gang nail(support plate) are 1/16 ″× 1/16″ and the perforations in the image are2 pixels×2 pixels, the image can be calibrated (adjusted) so that eachpixel corresponds to 1/32″× 1/32″. It can be appreciated that, to somedegree, the images received from the cameras are non-linear because thedistance between the camera and the structural component at a direct(i.e. perpendicular) angle of intersection with the reflective device isdifferent than the distance between the camera and the structuralcomponent at a non-direct (i.e., non-perpendicular) angle ofintersection. In these situations, it may be desirable to calibrate thedimensions of the image across the entire viewing area of the camera.

The methods can also include the step 214 of selecting one of at leastone reference image, the at least one reference image corresponding toat least one reference structural component design. In someimplementations, the step of selecting one of the at least one referenceimage can include (i) receiving an input from a human interface deviceand (ii) selecting the one of the at least one reference imagecorresponding to the input. For example, a system can include a humaninterface device such as a keyboard, a keypad, a mouse, or a touchscreen. An operator can indicate which reference structural component(and thus which reference image) is to be used.

Alternatively, the reference image can be selected corresponding to anidentification device. In some implementations, the step of selectingone of the at least one reference image can include (i) determining thepresence of an identification device including at least one of a barcode, a label, printed text, a machine readable pattern or the like, and(ii) selecting the one of the at least one reference image correspondingto the identification device. In further implementations, the step ofdetermining the presence of the identification device can includesearching for a known identification device pattern. For example, anidentification device can include a machine readable pattern or barcode. An algorithm can be used to detect the pattern or bar code andidentify a corresponding reference image. In an alternativeimplementation, the step of determining the presence of theidentification device can include: selecting a portion of at least oneidentification device candidate; computing the power cepstrum of theselected portion of the at least one identification device candidate;and identifying from the power cepstrum the identification device. Asabove, the power cepstrum is an algorithm which can be used to identify,with great precision, patterns in a portion of an image (although otheralgorithms may alternatively be used). As such, the power cepstrum canbe computed on an area in the image which has been determined topossibly be an identification device. The result can be compared toknown power cepstrums of different identification devices, and if thereis a match, the identification device can be selected.

Alternatively, the reference image can be selected corresponding to asupport plate. In some implementations, the step of selecting one of theat least one reference image can include (i) determining the presence ofa support plate including at least one of a bar code, a label, printedtext, a machine readable pattern or the like, and (ii) selecting the oneof the at least one reference image corresponding to the identificationdevice. In further implementations, the step of determining the presenceof the support plate comprises: selecting a portion of at least onesupport plate candidate; computing the power cepstrum of the selectedportion of the at least one support plate candidate; and identifyingfrom the power cepstrum the support plate. For example, differentstructural components may be formed from unique support plates (i.e.,for any given structural component, unique support plates can be used).An image processing algorithm can identify and select a portion of theimage corresponding to a probable support plate (or a portion of asupport plate). The algorithm can then compute the power cepstrum of theselected portion and determine therefrom if the probable support plateis likely to be a support plate. If the support plate candidate has apower cepstrum which corresponds to a known power cepstrum of a supportplate, the reference image can be chosen accordingly. This method ofselecting reference images is available where it is known that thestructural component is manufactured using unique or particular nailplates. If the unique or particular nail plate used for the subjectstructural component is identified from known nail plate candidates, areference image for that structural component can be readily identified.

The methods can also include the step 215 of comparing the at least onecomputer readable image with the selected one of the at least onereference structural component design. For example, the step can includea first sub-step wherein a point to point pattern match is performed toalign the position of one or more support plates contained in thecomputer readable image to corresponding support plates contained in thereference image. The point to point pattern match ensures that thesystem is tolerant of missing and/or misaligned support plates. The stepcan also include a second sub-step wherein one or more dimensions of thestructural component (as reflected in the computer readable image) arecompared to corresponding dimensions in the reference structuralcomponent design (as reflected in the reference image). This sub-stepmay be performed to determine whether the features of the structuralcomponent are within tolerances of the design specification and also toidentify any discrepancies therein. For example, and as illustrated inFIG. 18, one dimension may include the length from the apex of thestructural component 10 to the location of the first support plate 16 onthe left side. Another dimension may include the distance between thetwo innermost support plates 16 on the lower lumber piece 13. Anotherdimension may include the top angle formed by the two innermost lumberpieces 13. These and/or other (or all) specific dimensions to becompared may be selected for quality assurance purposes.

The methods can also include the step 216 of indicating a result of thecomparison to assist a user or computerized process in deciding whetheror not the structural component has been fabricated correctly andwhether it is in a condition for use. The report may be in any suitableform such as an audible or visible signal, a display to a terminal orother peripheral device, a printout or other hard copy, or anycombination of these. The report may provide any level of detail of theresults of the analysis, including reporting both good and badconditions noted with respect to the structural component. The user orcomputerized process may then determine whether the structural componentis suitable for use, or whether any further action or repair is neededbefore such use may be made.

An Exemplary Automated System for Taking Images of a Pre-EngineeredStructural Component

In some embodiments, automated systems for taking images of apre-engineered structural component can include: a lighting enclosurecomprising a proximal opening and a distal opening; at least one cameraprovided near the distal opening; at least one structural componentdetector; a processor in communication with the at least one structuralcomponent detector, and the at least one camera; and a programassociated with the processor, wherein the program and the processor areconfigured to capture and process at least one image received from theat least one camera. In alternative embodiments, the processor may alsocompress and/or store the received image.

It can be seen from the exemplary embodiments illustrated in of FIGS.1-11, that the present invention may include upper and lower lightingenclosures, generally 70A and 70B, mounted, respectively, above andbelow the path of a structural component 10 that has been recentlyfabricated. Lighting enclosures 70A and 70B may each have a proximalopening between the structural component 10 and one or more lightsources contained therein. Lighting enclosures 70A and 70B may also eachhave a distal opening between the structural component 10 and one ormore reflective surfaces (usually mirrors) contained therein. At leastone camera 20A and 20C may be provided near the distal openings oflighting enclosures 70A and 70B, respectively. It is to be appreciatedthat other embodiments of the present invention may provide only anupper 70A or only a lower 70B lighting enclosure (and related lightingsource(s), reflective surface(s) and camera(s)).

It can also be seen that in these illustrated embodiments, thestructural component 10 may be sandwiched between drive rollers 66A and66B which move the structural component along a path between lightingenclosures 70A and 70B. In some implementations, the system can includea support unit with at least one motorized roller for advancing thestructural component in a direction. Preferably, lower drive roller 66Bimparts movement to the structural component 10, while upper driveroller 66A prevents vibration (damping) of the structural component 10during movement so that clear images of the structural component 10 maybe captured; although upper roller 66A and/or other rollers may also oralternatively be used to impart motion. In another example, neitherlower drive roller 66B nor upper drive roller 66A impart movement to thestructural component 10. The system can be configured to include afinish (or pinch) rollers 71 which forces the structural componentthrough drive rollers 66A and 66B, both drive rollers 66A and 66B beingconfigured to prevent vibration of the structural component 10.Additionally, one or more support rollers 63 can also be provided tosupport the structural component 10. In some embodiments, one or moresupport rollers 63 may provide support for the structural component 10as it travels between these devices. In many cases, structural component10 will have just been fabricated by finish (or pinch) rollers 71 andtravels directly from the finish rollers to the inspection area(containing the cameras and lighting enclosures, etc.).

Details of an embodiment of an upper lighting enclosure 70A are shown inFIG. 11. Upper lighting enclosure 70A can include an elongated frontwall 76 and an elongated back wall 77. In one example, if the widestanticipated structural component 10 is approximately 12 feet across, thehousings and rollers may be 14 feet 8 inches in length in order to allowthe structural component to be out of alignment by several inches. It isto be appreciated that other smaller or larger dimensions may also beused. An elongated partial top wall 75 may also be provided, leaving anelongated opening 78 along the top of upper lighting enclosure 70A. Thesides of upper lighting enclosure 70A may be open which provides easyaccess to the interior; however, they may be closed in alternativeembodiments in order to minimize the entry of debris or unwanted foreignmatter. In some implementations, the lighting enclosure can beconfigured to block most ambient light and/or configured to add lightsuitable for reception by the at least one camera.

As illustrated in the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 6, inside upperlighting enclosure 70A, one or more light sources 30A and 30B may beprovided to illuminate the structural component 10 passing below theupper lighting enclosure 70A. In further implementations, the lightingenclosure can include a reflective surface such as a mirror. One or morepreferably elongated reflective surfaces 40A are provided along the topof back wall 77 on the inside. Reflective surface 40A may be fixed oradjustable and may be angled such that it reflects an image of thestructural component through opening 78 where it can be observed bycamera 20A. Reflective surface 40A may be provided on back wall 77,integrated with its own angled support wall 74, or with top wall 75, orprovided separately. An elongated flap 15 may also be provided adjacentto back wall 77, which may be hingedly attached and which may coverlower lighting enclosure 70B when dual housings are used. In otherimplementations, the interior of the light enclosure can be uniformlypainted with a color suitable for quick mathematical compression of theat least one image. For example, the interior of the light enclosure maybe painted black. It can be appreciated that although the abovedescription is made with reference to upper lighting enclosure 70A,lower housing enclosure 70B (if provided) may have similar features.

In some implementations, the systems can include at least one positionsensor. Referring to the illustrated embodiment of FIGS. 7A and 7B, aposition sensor 56 may be provided to detect the position of thestructural component 10 as it passes through the invention. Positionsensor 56 coordinates the timing and speed of travel of the structuralcomponent through rollers 66A and 66B with the image captured by thecamera 20A. For example, position sensor 56 may be an optical rotaryencoder. It can be appreciated that the position sensor can be providedin any of a number of ways, including without limitation, as a separatedevice 56, as shown, or as part of a subassembly of either roller 66A,66B or 67, or part of a subassembly of motor 69, or in any othersuitable manner. For example, the position sensor can be included in thefinish (or pinch) rollers 71 which fabricate the structural component10.

The systems may also include structural component sensors 53A/53B and/or53C/53D. One or more structural component sensors 53A-53D can beprovided adjacent to one or both of lighting enclosure 70A and 70B todetect the entrance and/or the exit of the structural component 10 fromthe invention. Pairs of transmitters 53A and 53B and associatedreceivers 53C and 53D, respectively, may be provided to detect thepresence of a structural component 10. Any appropriate type and numberof structural component sensors may be used including, withoutlimitation, optical, sound, photo, magnetic, etc. sensors, so thatdetection occurs before and after the structural component 10 reachesand exits lighting enclosure 70A or 70B. For example, sensor pair 53Cand 53D can be configured to detect a leading edge of the structuralcomponent 10, and sensor pair 53A and 53B can be configured to detect atrailing edge of the structural component. Once a structural component10 is detected, light sources 30A and 30B and camera(s) 20A may beactivated so as to capture images of the structural component 10 as itis being moved through the system. In some embodiments, the structuralcomponent sensors are photo sensors and are used to start and stop themotorized rollers.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 6, one or more supports may be provided to holdone or more cameras 20A and 20B. The supports may be of any appropriatelength and may be attached at any appropriate location in order to placethe cameras such that they can view the reflection of the structuralcomponent 10 through opening 78. As shown, the supports can be attachedto the front walls 76 of lighting enclosure 70A, but they may beattached to the legs supporting the rollers, or elsewhere, or they maybe attached to structures that are independent of lighting enclosure70A.

Referring to the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 6, it is seen thatan image of the upper surface of the structural component 10 can bereflected up along line 85A to reflective surface (mirror) 40A and thenalong line 83A to camera 20A. Similarly, an image of the lower surfaceof the structural component 10 can be reflected down along line 85C,reflected off reflective surface 40B, and then along line 83C to camera20C. Light source 30A and 30B inside lighting enclosure 70A canilluminate a portion of the structural component 10 so that a good imageis reflected to camera 20A. The angles of reflective surfaces 40A and40B should be adjusted to reflect the structural component image to theappropriate camera. In some embodiments, this angle will be about 45degrees, such as when cameras 20A and 20C are located in a horizontalplane that is substantially the same as that of the structural component10. However, cameras 20A and 20C may be placed at other angles relativeto lighting enclosures 70A and 70B and structural component 10 such thatthe angles of reflective surfaces 40A and 40B may be significantlydifferent from each other, and may be significantly different from 45degrees (e.g. from about 30 to about 60 degrees).

In another exemplary embodiment, the light sources 30A and 30B areprovided using LEDs in the red spectrum of light, with camera 20A beingappropriately selected to receive such light, although any suitablecombination of colored light and corresponding light-sensitive camera20A may be used. Lighting enclosure 70A may be configured to block mostof the ambient light which is replaced by the (colored) light providedfrom light sources 30A and 30B. The use of colored light is designed toswamp any remaining ambient light, and provide a better image to becaptured by the camera 20A for later processing. The light is preferablyfocused along a narrow strip on the structural component 10 underlighting enclosure 70A. It can be appreciated that the foregoingdiscussion may apply equally to the corresponding elements of the lowerlighting enclosure 70B and camera 20C.

One exemplary embodiment of the invention using two cameras 20A and 20Band an upper lighting enclosure 70A is illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9. Itcan be seen that in this illustrated embodiment, cameras 20A and 20B arelocated a sufficient distance away from reflective surface 40A so that,together, they are capable of receiving the entire image of thestructural component 10 below that is reflected from the reflectivesurface 40A. It is to be noted (with reference to FIG. 6) that theviewing angle of cameras 20A and 20B includes not only the horizontalspan along lines 83A and 83B, respectively, but also the continuedvertical span along lines 85A and 85B, respectively (i.e., the completedistance from the cameras to the structural component by way of thereflective surface). There may be a slight overlap in the imagesreceived by cameras 20A and 20B so that no imagery of the structuralcomponent 10 is lost. As described previously, a correlation isperformed at this overlap area to align the images received from cameras20A and 20B.

In some implementations, the distance between the reflective surface andthe structural component can be less than a distance between thereflective surface and the at least one camera. It is to be appreciatedthat as shown in FIG. 6, the taller the lighting enclosure 70A thelonger the distance 85A, and the shorter the distance 83A allowingcamera 20A to be closer to lighting enclosure 70A. Similarly, theshorter the lighting enclosure 70A, the shorter the distance 85A and thelonger the distance 83A. The distance along line 85A from structuralcomponent 10 to reflective surface 40A may be, for example, 5 feet andthe distance along line 83A from reflective surface 40A to camera 20Amay be, for example, approximately 10 feet for a total of 15 feet.However, if space constraints at a particular location do not allow forthis distance, one or more additional cameras may be employed (as shownin FIG. 5), bringing all cameras closer to lighting enclosure 70A, eachcamera receiving an image from a portion of reflective surface 40A, witha slight overlap so that no imagery is lost. For example, with referenceto the embodiments of FIGS. 8 and 9, if three cameras were employedinstead of two, the 15-foot total distance would be reduced byapproximately one third, such that the new distance between the camerasand the reflective surface 40A may be reduced to approximately 5 feet,with each camera picking up approximately one third of the image fromthe reflective surface 40A. Additional cameras may also be employed tofurther reduce the space required. In other examples, additionalreflective surfaces may also be employed thereby reflecting the image ofthe structural component many times instead of once. The height oflighting enclosure 70A may also be varied according to space needs. Itis to be appreciated that similar configurations of cameras, supports,and reflective surfaces may be utilized on a lower lighting enclosure70B. It is also to be appreciated that the configurations of the lowerlighting enclosure 70B (and associated cameras, etc.) may be differentthan the configurations of the upper lighting enclosure 70A (e.g., upperstructure with one camera, lower structure with two; upper structurewith two cameras, lower structure with one; upper structure with fourcameras, lower structure with two, or other combinations).

In some implementations, the at least one camera can be configured witha resolution sufficient to measure all critical dimensions of thestructural component within tolerances determined by the designspecification of the structural component. It is also to be appreciatedthat depending on the precision desired, more than one camera may beemployed. For example, and without limitation, a first camera may have aresolution of 2,048 pixels and a reflected field of view of 14 feet. Asystem configured as such may have a projected image resolution ofapproximately 1/16 inch per pixel. However, when two such cameras areused, or if a single camera capable of providing 4,096 pixels is used, ahigher resolution of 1/32 inch per pixel can be achieved. Thus, thenumber of cameras used may vary according to the space and/or theprecision requirements of the user.

It is to be appreciated that different colors may be used for the lightsources 30A and 30B, and/or different filters may be utilized on thecamera for optimum optical image capture. The selection of light colorsand filters may depend upon, among other things, the type of camerasused (such as infrared, ultraviolet, or other spectrum-specificcameras); the type of wood and metal used in the structural component(from Douglas fir to yellow pine; from aluminum to iron); and the amountof processing to be performed on the captured images. In a preferredembodiment, red light and/or filters may be employed in conjunction witha camera having 4,096 pixels per line (to provide an image resolution of1/16 inch).

An exemplary embodiment of a camera 20 is shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B. Insome implementations, the system can include an enclosure configured toprotect the at least one camera from dust, moisture, and temperatureextremes. A camera 20 may include an enclosure 23 with a mount and anarm adjustable locking mount. The camera 20 can include an image sensor21 and a lens 25. In other implementations, the camera can include anoptical filter for increasing the visual contrast between a lumber pieceand a support plate of the structural component. Optical filter 26 maybe configured to limit the spectrum of light received by image sensor 21to that which is most advantageous in a given lighting situation. Thecamera may also be provided with a positioning laser 29 used for cameraalignment.

Referring to the exemplary diagrammatic embodiment of FIG. 19, aprocessor 197 may be provided in communication with the structuralcomponent sensor 199, the motorized roller 191, and the camera 193. Theprocessor 197 may also be in communication with the position sensor 196.In some implementations, the processor and the program can be configuredto associate an output of the position sensor and the timing of thecamera. For example, the processor and program can receive outputs ofthe structural component sensor 199 and position sensor 196 anddetermine the location of the structural component 10 and the speed atwhich it is moving relative to the cameras.

In some embodiments, a program 198 may be associated with processor 197and may be configured to capture and process at least one image receivedfrom camera 193. In these embodiments, the processor 197 and/or program198 may also compress and/or store the at least one image. In someimplementations, the processor and the program can be configured to (i)identify at least one lumber piece and at least one support plate of thestructural component and (ii) measure at least one critical dimension ofthe structural component. For example, the processor 197 can beconfigured to perform image processing on the image received from thecamera 193. An algorithm can be used to identify one or more lumberpieces and one or more support plates. Once the components areidentified, an algorithm can be used to measure critical dimensions(such as length, width, orientation, absolute and relative positions,etc.). For example, as shown in the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 18, analgorithm can measure the distances between support plates 16, theangles between lumber pieces 13, and the length of the lumber pieces 13.

In further implementations, the processor and the program can beconfigured to compare the at least one critical dimension with areference structural component design. For example, after the processorand program have measured a critical dimension of the structuralcomponent (e.g., a distance between the apex of the structural component10 and a first support plate 16, as shown in FIG. 18), the dimension canbe compared to a reference structural component design (i.e., theexpected distance between the apex and a first support plate, aspre-determined by the engineering design of the specific structuralcomponent under test). It can be appreciated that one or more structuralcomponent design files (e.g., CAD files, vector data files, etc.) may beavailable to the processor and program for comparison. For instance, asystem in accordance with the present invention can be configured tovalidate the construction of any number of distinct structuralcomponents (i.e., each structural component differing in designdimensions) by making available to the processor and program a distinctreference structural component design file corresponding to eachdistinct structural component (i.e., each distinct structural componenthas at least one CAD file associated with it).

In some implementations, the processor and the program can be configuredto identify the reference structural component design by receiving amanually provided identifier. For example, the system may include amouse, keyboard, keypad, touch screen, or similar devices whereby amachine operator can identify which of the multiple structural componentdesign files should be used as a comparison to the specific structuralcomponent under test. In an alternative implementation, the processorand the program can be configured to identify the reference structuralcomponent design by automatically detecting a label on the structuralcomponent having at least one of a barcode, text or other identifier.For example, the structural component under test 10 may include a label19, the label 19 of which may include a barcode. An algorithm can beimplemented to detect the label 19 and identify from the barcode whichreference structural component design file should be used as acomparison.

In some implementations, the system can include a means for graphicallydisplaying a result of the processing overlaid on the at least one imageof the structural component. For example, the processor can be coupledto a display device such as a monitor. The monitor may display an imageof the structural component having a result of the processing overlaidthereon. However, it can be appreciated that in other embodiments, thesystem can include a network attached device, a light, a buzzer oralarm, or any similar device for indicating a result of the processing.

In some embodiments, the image received from the camera(s) is compressedso that it may be more easily manipulated, processed and stored. Thiscompression is achieved by identifying the parts of the structuralcomponent (such as lumber and support plates), and eliminating from theimage file the spaces between these parts. As illustrated in the exampleof FIG. 18, a typical structural component 10 can include a large amountof space in between lumber pieces 13. In some embodiments, thestructural component is made of lighter substances (lumber) and thebackground against which the structural component is viewed is uniformand typically darker (e.g., the black interior of housing 70 or backdrop79), providing a contrast that can be used by the compression program toidentify and delete the unneeded background space. As described above,different lighting colors and/or filters may be used to achieve thenecessary contrast in the images produced to allow the identificationand deletion of unneeded background space from the image file. Applyingthese techniques makes the image files produced by the invention smallerand easier to store, process and manipulate. The files may be stored onan appropriate medium, and may be accessed later if any questions ariseregarding the testing performed on the particular structural component.

An Exemplary Method for Inspecting a Pre-Engineered Structural Component

In some embodiments, a method for inspecting a pre-engineered structuralcomponent can include: capturing images from both sides of thestructural component; identifying the structural component; measuring atleast one dimension of the structural component contained in the images;comparing the at least one dimension to a reference structural componentdesign; and reporting a result of the comparison of the at least onedimension. In some implementations, the step of reporting can includegraphically displaying a result of the comparison superimposed over theimages.

Referring to the exemplary diagrammatical embodiment of FIG. 22, andwithout limiting the scope of the claims herein, the methods of theinvention can include the step 221 of capturing images from one or bothsides of the structural component. When the system is enabled, it candetect 221A when a structural component passes between a leading edgesensor transmitter/receiver pair (transmitter 53C/receiver 53D as shownin FIGS. 7A and 7B). The system can then begin 221B to capture images ofthe structural component from the one or more cameras and continues 221Cto do so as the structural component passes though the system. Thesystem can detect 221D a trailing edge of the structural component bytrailing edge sensor transmitter/receiver pair (transmitter 53A/receiver53B as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B). The system can then stop 221Ecapturing images. In an exemplary use of an embodiment, and withreference to FIGS. 6, 7A, and 7B, a structural component 10 can berolled over roller 63 and toward rollers 66A and 66B and lightingenclosures 70A and 70B. In one example, when sensor transmitter53C/receiver 53D pair detects the presence of the structural component10, rollers 66A and 66B (which in one example are motorized) can beactivated, and move the structural component 10 between lightingenclosures 70A and 70B and completely through the field of view of thecameras 20A and 20C. At the same time, light sources 30A and 30B (andthe corresponding light sources for lighting enclosure 70B) can also beactivated, creating a focused line of light that the structuralcomponent 10 passes under/over. The light can be reflected off thestructural component 10 and reflective surfaces 40A and 40B to cameras20A and 20C, respectively. As the structural component 10 passesunder/over the lines of light, cameras 20A and 20C collect and captureimages of both sides of the structural component 10. A position sensor56 can be used to match the image capture speed to the speed of thestructural component as it passes though the system. It can beappreciated that one or more images may be captured for any givenstructural component, for example, an image of the top side and an imageof the bottom side. It can also be appreciated that one or more imagesmay be created for any given side, for example, and as shown in FIG. 9,when there are more than one camera imaging a single side of thestructural component.

It may be desirable to minimize the size of the data file which containsthe image received from the cameras. It can be appreciated that for moststructural components, there is a considerable amount of empty spacebetween the lumber pieces of the structural component itself. Thepresent invention is capable of recognizing the differences betweenlocations where there is a lumber piece, support plate, oridentification device and where there is nothing, and eliminating theempty space from the image file. Thus, the methods can also include thestep 222 of compressing the images by removing the background. Becausesystems may include, among other features, lighting enclosures with auniform interior color, one or more flaps which block most of theambient light, light sources (which may include optical filters) whichemit a limited spectrum of light, cameras (which may include opticalfilters) which receive a limited spectrum of light, and/or backdrops,the captured images of the structural component may include thestructural component superimposed with sufficient contrast on an almostpure colored background. This background can be effectively removed bymaking it a uniform color. Thus, the only remaining data contained inthe image is that of the structural component itself (i.e., theforeground). After removing the background, the methods can also includethe step 223 of compressing the foreground. The foreground to backgroundratio may be very small after this step such that standard imagecompression algorithm (for example, a lossless or near lossless JPEGvariant algorithm) may quickly create a compressed image of thestructural component. Finally, the methods can include the step 224 ofsaving the compressed (both compressed by removing the background and/orcompressed by compressing the foreground) image.

After capturing, compressing, and storing one or more images of thestructural component, the methods can include the step 225 ofidentifying the location of lumber and support plates and identifyingthe structural component by an identification device. Because the imagesof the structural component, even with compression as discussed above,may still be large, it may be necessary to adopt a multi-stage approachto quickly find the critical components without having to process theentire image to the same level of detail. As shown in FIG. 22,identifying the location of lumber, support plates, and identificationdevices can include a multi-staged approach. In the first stage 225A,the image file may be sampled to look for areas that might be lumber,support plates, or identification devices. In some examples, a fast andcourse detection may be sufficient to identify the location of supportplates, lumber, and identification devices. In the second stage 225B, ifneeded, the support plates and lumber identified in the first stage maybe tested to determine if they are very likely to be support plates orlumber pieces. In some examples, this stage may be necessary to confirmthe location of support plates and lumber pieces.

The structural component can be identified in step 225C by eitherreference to an identification device that was located in step 225A, or,by user input. Each compressed image file may be searched for a barcode, label, stamp, mark or other identification of the particularstructural component that has been imaged. If an identification deviceis found, then a corresponding reference structural component designfile (containing support plate and lumber position information,placement tolerances and orientation, and other specifications) for theidentified structural component can be selected. If no identificationdevice is found, a default reference structural component design filemay be used, or the user may be prompted to identify the referencestructural component design file. For example, a system user can selectthe reference structural component design by using a keypad, mouse,touch screen, or other suitable device.

Once the location of one or more lumber pieces and support plates hasbeen determined, the structural component has been identified, and areference structural component design file has been selected, the imagefile of the structural component can be compared, as shown in step 226,to the image file of the reference structural component design todetermine whether the structural component meets the requiredtolerances. In the first sub-step 226A, a point to point pattern matchcan be performed to align the position of one or more support platescontained in the image file of the structural component to correspondingsupport plates contained in the image file of the selected referencestructural component design. This step may be performed so that thesystem is tolerant of missing and or misaligned plates. In the secondsub-step 226B, one or more dimensions of the structural component (asreflected in the image file) are compared to corresponding dimensions inthe reference structural component design to determine whether thefeatures of the imaged structural component are within tolerances of thedesign specification and to identify any discrepancies therein. Forexample, and as illustrated in FIG. 18, one dimension may include thelength from the apex of the structural component 10 to the location ofthe first support plate 16 on the left side. Another dimension mayinclude the distance between the two innermost support plates 16 on thelower lumber piece 13. Another dimension may include the top angleformed by the two innermost lumber pieces 13. The specific dimensions tobe compared may be selected for quality assurance purposes.

Finally, the methods can include the step 227 of reporting a result ofthe compared dimensions to assist a user in deciding whether or not thestructural component is in a condition for use. The report may be in anysuitable form such as an audible signal, a display to a terminal orother peripheral device, a printout or other hard copy, or anycombination of these. The report may provide any level of detail of theresults of the analysis, including reporting both good and badconditions noted with respect to the structural component. The imagefiles and the report may also be stored for future use or reference. Theuser may then determine whether the structural component is suitable foruse, or whether any further action or repair is needed before such usemay be made.

In an exemplary use of embodiments such as those illustrated in FIGS.1-7, a structural component 10 is rolled over rollers 63 toward rollers66A and 66B and the adjacent upper 70A and/or lower 70B housings. Whensensors 56 detect the presence of the component 10, rollers 66A and 66Bare activated, and move the structural component between housings 70Aand 70B. At the same time that rollers 66A and 66B are activated, lightsources 30A and/or 30B are also activated, creating a focused line of(colored) light that the structural component 10 passes under/over. Thelight is reflected on surfaces 40 to cameras 20. As structural component10 passes under/over the lines of light, cameras 20 collect and captureimages of both sides of the structural component 10. The captured imagesare compressed into smaller files using software that eliminates thevoid spaces between members of the structural component 10. If more thanone image is taken of one side of the structural component 10, theimages are correlated into a file. This newly created file is thensearched for identification of the structural component, or thatidentification may be provided from operator input. Once the structuralcomponent has been identified, a reference (archive) file is found andthe newly-created file is compared to the reference file to determinewhether the structural component meets the required tolerances. Theresults of this comparison are reported to the operator for use indeciding whether or not the structural component is in condition foruse.

Conclusion/Summary

The present invention provides systems, apparatuses, and methods whichare capable of capturing, saving, and processing precise images ofpre-engineered structural components, including but not limited tobuilding trusses, wall panels, and other fabricated or compositeconstruction parts, whereby the construction thereof may be efficientlyand accurately verified.

It is to be understood that variations and/or modifications of thepresent invention may be made without departing from the scope ofthereof. For example, while examples of the embodiments described aboveinvolve building trusses, the methods, apparatuses, and systems of thepresent invention may also be used and adapted for inspecting buildingframes, wall panels, and the like. Similarly, the present invention mayalso be used and adapted to confirm proper placement of elements of suchcomponents (e.g., proper placement of studs, openings, etc.) It is alsoto be understood that the present invention is not to be limited by thespecific embodiments, descriptions, or illustrations or combinations ofeither components or steps disclosed herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for inspecting a pre-engineeredstructural component, comprising: a) a light source that illuminates aportion of said pre-engineered structural component, said pre-engineeredstructural component comprising lumber and at least one support plate;b) a camera that (i) receives a reflection of said light source fromsaid pre-engineered structural component and (ii) generates an imageoutput corresponding to said reflection; c) a memory storage that storesat least one reference data, said at least one reference datacorresponding to at least one reference structural component design; d)a processing unit with an internal memory in communication with saidlight source, said camera, and said memory storage; and e) programmingin said processing unit that (i) receives said camera image output intointernal memory, (ii) detects a characteristic of said pre-engineeredstructural component from said camera image output, said characteristicselected from the group of: the presence of a lumber piece, the relativeposition of a lumber piece, the presence of a support plate, therelative position of a support plate, and combinations thereof, (iii)compares said characteristic to a corresponding characteristic of saidat least one reference data, and (iv) provides a result of saidcomparison.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein said light source emitsradiation having a narrow chromatic bandwidth.
 3. The system of claim 1,wherein said light source comprises at least one optical filter.
 4. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein said camera receives radiation having anarrow chromatic bandwidth.
 5. The system of claim 1, wherein saidcamera comprises at least one optical filter.
 6. The system of claim 1,wherein said camera includes an environmental housing.
 7. The system ofclaim 1, further comprising a reflective surface.
 8. The system of claim7, wherein said reflective surface is selected from the group consistingof a mirror and a prism.
 9. The system of claim 7, further comprising(i) a first optical path from said pre-engineered structural componentto said reflective surface and (ii) a second optical path from saidreflective surface to said camera.
 10. The system of claim 7, furthercomprising an enclosure for housing said light source, said reflectivesurface, and said camera.
 11. The system of claim 7, further comprisinga light source housing containing said light source and said reflectivesurface, said housing having a proximal opening and a distal opening.12. The system of claim 11, wherein said light source housing has auniform interior color.
 13. The system of claim 1, further comprising atleast one first edge sensor for detecting a leading edge of saidpre-engineered structural component, and at least one second edge sensorfor detecting a trailing edge of said pre-engineered structuralcomponent.
 14. The system of claim 1, further comprising an encoder that(i) detects the position of said pre-engineered structural componentrelative to said camera and (ii) generates output corresponding to saidposition.
 15. The system of claim 1, further comprising a motorizedroller for moving the pre-engineered structural component from a firstposition to a second position.
 16. The system of claim 1 wherein saidprocessing unit compresses image output from said camera.
 17. The systemof claim 16 wherein said image compression configuration eliminates ofbackdrop areas of said image output.
 18. The system of claim 16 whereinsaid processing unit saves compressed images.
 19. The system of claim 1wherein said pre-engineered structural component is a truss.
 20. Asystem for inspecting a pre-engineered structural component, comprising:a. a light source that illuminates a portion of said pre-engineeredstructural component, said pre-engineered structural componentcomprising lumber and at least one support plate; b. a camera that (i)receives a reflection of said light source from said pre-engineeredstructural component and (ii) generates an image output corresponding tosaid reflection; c. a memory storage that stores at least one referencedata, said at least one reference data corresponding to at least onereference structural component design; d. a processing unit with aninternal memory in communication with said light source, said camera,and said memory storage; and e. programming in said processing unit that(i) receives said camera image output into internal memory, (ii) detectsa characteristic selected from the group consisting of: the size of atleast one lumber piece, the shape of at least one lumber piece, thecolor of at least one lumber piece, the absolute position of at leastone lumber piece, the relative position of at least one lumber piece,the size of at least one support plate, the shape of at least onesupport plate, the color of at least one support plate, the absoluteposition of at least one support plate, the size of at least oneidentification device, the shape of at least one identification device,the color of at least one identification device, the absolute positionof at least one identification device, and combinations thereof, (iii)compares said characteristic to a corresponding characteristic of saidat least one reference data, and (iv) provides a result of saidcomparison.
 21. An apparatus for validating the construction of apre-engineered structural component, comprising: a) an emitter forprojecting photons towards a portion of said pre-engineered structuralcomponent, said pre-engineered structural component comprising lumberand at least one support plate; b) a receiver for detecting a reflectionof said photons from said portion of said pre-engineered structuralcomponent and producing an output; and c) a processor in communicationwith said emitter, said receiver, and a program wherein said program (i)creates an electronic image of said pre-engineered structural componentfrom said output, (ii) compares a characteristic of said image selectedfrom the group of: the presence of a lumber piece, the relative positionof a lumber piece, the presence of a support plate, the relativeposition of a support plate, and combinations thereof to a correspondingcharacteristic of a reference image and (iii) provides a result of saidcomparison.
 22. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising a meansfor moving the pre-engineered structural component with respect to saidreceiver.
 23. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising an encoderfor detecting the position of said pre-engineered structural componentwith respect to said receiver.
 24. The apparatus of claim 21, furthercomprising a sensor for detecting an edge of the pre-engineeredstructural component.
 25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein saidapparatus further comprises at least one reflective surface that creates(i) a first optical path from said pre-engineered structural componentto said at least one reflective surface and (ii) a second optical pathfrom said at least one reflective surface to said receiver.
 26. Theapparatus of claim 21 wherein said program compresses said electronicimage.
 27. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein said image compressionprogram eliminates backdrop areas of said electronic image.
 28. Theapparatus of claim 26 wherein said processor unit saves compressedimages in a memory storage.
 29. The system of claim 21 wherein saidpre-engineered structural component is a truss.
 30. A method ofvalidating the construction of a pre-engineered structural component,comprising the steps of: a) moving said pre-engineered structuralcomponent from a first position to a second position in front of abackdrop; b) causing a light source to illuminate said pre-engineeredstructural component as it moves from said first position to said secondposition; c) receiving reflections of said light source from saidpre-engineered structural component and backdrop as it moves from saidfirst position to said second position, and storing data in a firstportion of a data array, wherein said data corresponds to saidreflections; d) selecting one of at least one reference array; e)searching the data in said first array to find the presence and relativelocation of a characteristic selected from the group of: at least onelumber piece, at least one support plate, and combinations thereof; f)searching the data in said selected reference array to find the presenceand relative location a corresponding characteristic selected from thegroup of: at least one lumber piece, at least one support plate, andcombinations thereof; g) determining how closely the presence andrelative location of said characteristic found in said first arraycorresponds to the presence and location of said correspondingcharacteristic found in said reference array; and h) indicating a resultof said determination.
 31. The method of claim 30, comprising thefurther step of causing said light source to illuminate a second portionof said pre-engineered structural component.
 32. The method of claim 30,further comprising the step of processing said data array to removebackdrop data.
 33. The method of claim 30 further comprising the step ofadjusting the data in said first array for skew.
 34. The method of claim30 wherein said step of selecting one of said at least one referencearray comprises (i) detecting the presence of an identification devicein said first array and (ii) selecting said at least one reference arraycorresponding to said identification device.
 35. The method of claim 34wherein the step of detecting said identification device includessearching for one of the group of a bar code, a label, printed text, amachine readable pattern, and combinations thereof.
 36. The method ofclaim 30, wherein said step of selecting one of said at least onereference array comprises (i) receiving an input from a human interfacedevice and (ii) selecting said at least one reference arraycorresponding to said input.
 37. The method of claim 30, wherein saidstep of selecting one of said at least one reference array comprises (i)determining the presence of a unique support plate and (ii) selectingsaid at least one reference array corresponding to said unique supportplate.
 38. The method of claim 37, wherein said step of determining thepresence of said support plate comprises: a) first identifying thepresence and relative location of at least one potential support plate;b) identifying from said at least one potential support plate thepresence and relative location of at least one likely support plate; andc) identifying from said at least one likely support plate the presenceand relative location of said support plate.
 39. The method of claim 30,wherein said indicating step comprises displaying a representation ofsaid first array and a representation of said reference array on amonitor.
 40. The method of claim 30, wherein said indicating stepcomprises one of the group of: providing an audio signal, providing avisual signal, providing a printed report, providing a video report, andcombinations thereof.
 41. The method of claim 30 wherein saidpre-engineered structural component is a truss.
 42. A system forinspecting a pre-engineered structural component, comprising: a) a lightsource for illuminating a portion of said pre-engineered structuralcomponent, said pre-engineered structural component comprising lumberand at least one support plate; b) a camera for receiving a reflectionfrom said pre-engineered structural component and generating an imageoutput corresponding to said reflection; c) a memory for storing atleast one reference data, said at least one reference data correspondingto at least one reference structural component design; and d) aprocessor with a memory in communication with said light source, saidcamera and said memory, wherein said processor (i) receives said imageoutput into said memory, (ii) detects a characteristic of saidpre-engineered structural component from said image output wherein saidcharacteristic is selected from the group of: the presence of a lumberpiece, the relative position of a lumber piece, the presence of asupport plate, the relative position of a support plate, andcombinations thereof, (iii) compares said characteristic to acorresponding characteristic of said at least one reference data, and(iv) provides a result of said comparison.
 43. The system of claim 42wherein said pre-engineered structural component is a truss.